Could America’s Foremost White Nationalist US Congressman Lose His Seat? New Poll Shows He’s Up – by One Point

Rep. Steve King, a Republican serving in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003, is known for few things. Longevity: he’s and eight-term Congressman, and being a racist, anti-LGBT, and a white nationalist: he’s the one who attacked Hispanic immigrants by saying that for every Hispanic high school valedictorian, there are 100 who are running drugs across the Mexican border — and they have “calves the size of cantaloupes.”

That was 2014, when he also warned, after Hurricane Sandy, that its victims will spend money they may receive from FEMA on “Gucci bags and massage parlors.”

He has said on national television, “We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies,” a clear reference to immigrants from non-European countries. He added: “I’d like to see an America that’s just so homogenous that we look a lot the same.”

And a new poll finds that King is in a statistical tie with his Democratic challenger, J.D. Scholten, for what is likely the first time in history.

“Forty-five percent of respondents in the online poll said they would either vote for the Iowa Republican if the election were today, or have already voted for him early, according to the poll conducted by Change Research from Oct. 27-29,” The Hill reports. “Forty-four percent of respondents said the same for Scholten.”

Were Scholten to beat King it would be a tremendous blow to the GOP and to the President himself. Trump has told supporters they must vote in next week’s midterms, because they are voting for him. Even though he’s technically on the ballot, this election is a referendum on Trump, and Trumpism.

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Mulvaney: ‘The President Is Not a White Supremacist’

Mick Mulvaney, the Acting White House Chief of Staff, claimed on Fox News Sunday that President Trump is not a white supremacist.

Host Chris Wallace noted that some critics claim that the president “has contributed to an anti-Muslim climate,” including a statement from Senator and 2020 hopeful Kirsten Gillibrand, where she said, “time and time again, this president has embraced and emboldened white supremacists—and instead of condemning racist terrorists, he covers for them.”

Time and time again, this president has embraced and emboldened white supremacists—and instead of condemning racist terrorists, he covers for them. This isn’t normal or acceptable. We have to be better than this. https://t.co/pniU3l0wte

Wallace also pointed out similarities between the New Zealand shooter’s statement about “killing invaders” and the president’s own statements the next day using framing immigrants crossing our southern border as an “invasion.”

“There’s folks that just don’t like the president and everything that goes wrong, they’re going to for a way to tie that to the president,” said Mulvaney. “It’s just absurd to say there’s a connection to being against illegal immigration and for legal immigration.”

Wallace asked Mulvaney if the president would consider speaking directly to the issue, “To the degree that there is an issue with white supremacists, white nationalists, anti-Muslim bigotry in this country — and there is an issue with that — why not deliver a speech condemning it?”

“The president is not a white supremacist,” replied Mulvaney. “I’m not sure how many times we have to say that.”

The acting chief of staff did not, however, answer the question.

Mulvaney also pushed back at comments that the New Zealand shooter was a supporter of President Trump.

While Wallace shared the shooter’s statement that he did see Trump has a “symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose,” Mulvaney was displeased that Wallace did not include the rest of the shooter’s comment where he disagreed with Trump’s policies and abilities as a leader.

“I don’t think it’s fair to cast this person as a support of Donald Trump,” said Mulvaney.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2017 Charlottesville “alt-right” rally and violence that led to the killing of a young protestor, Heather Heyer, President Donald Trump blamed “many sides” for the violence. The Dept. of Veterans Affairs’ Chief Diversity Officer penned a statement condemning the extremist groups, including “white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the Ku Klux Klan.”

A Trump appointee told her she couldn’t publish it.

The Washington Post reports John Ullyot, the VA’s assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, “sought to silence” Georgia Coffey, “a nationally recognized expert in workplace diversity and race relations.”

Coffey had wanted to send out the statement because many – 40 percent – of the VA’s 380,000 employees are minorities, and some had already reached out to her looking for support and guidance.

Ullyot told her she was free to share her personal opinions, but sent the message she was not to condemn the extremist hate groups if speaking for the VA. He cut that section out and suggested a replacement:

The Washington Post adds that Coffey decided to post her statement to an internal Veterans’ Affairs monthly communications online newsletter.

Her statement was scrubbed from the document, and she was reportedly reprimanded.

Coffey soon “retired,” and is now the senior manager for diversity and inclusion at a top defense contractor, Lockheed Martin.